Little-Known Facts: Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer

Hello! I’m Josh Olin (aka JD_2020), and thank you for the opportunity to highlight some of the features that Call of Duty: Black Ops will deliver to PS3 fans when it launches on November 9th. A number of these features are ones that I think the community has been wanting for a long time, which is why we’ve worked really hard to deliver. So let’s get started!

Multiplayer Online Split-Screen Support

Let’s get started with what I believe is the most unknown, yet confirmed, aspect to Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer – the online split-screen support we’ve re-introduced to the franchise!

The Facts:

You can connect a second controller and bring a guest online (i.e. “JD_2020” & “JD_2020(1)”).

Custom Games Editor

Allow me to introduce the Black Ops Custom Games Editor! Private matches have never been this customizable. Players will have the ability to structure their games at all new levels of granularity. From variables as simple as Time Limit and Score Limit, or as deep as which weapons, Perks, and gear are available. You want a Pistols Only match? Make one! No longer do custom game modes rely on the “honor system.”

Furthermore, any Custom Game you create and configure can be placed in your File Share, for friends and the community to browse, download, and enjoy. You just might create the most addictive new game mode of all time from the comfort of your own living room!

In-Game Friends List

We’ve integrated a built-in Friends List into the in game user interface. You’ll be able to browse Recent Players, Friends, navigate their File Shares, Recent Games, Combat Records – all within this in-game menu system designed to streamline the social process within the game. Sending game invites and joining Friends’ games has never been simpler than in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Regional Matchmaking & Party Privacy

Call of Duty: Black Ops will support regional matchmaking filters on a global scale. So, no matter where you’re at in the world, you will have the ability to specify whether you want to match with players from other geographical regions, or only those local to you. This will make communication and lag a much less intrusive variable on your gameplay experience.

Additionally, given Black Ops will support joining games in progress via an even simpler built-in in-game Friends List interface, we’ll allow a Party leader to lock down his lobby to Invite Only, Friends Only, or even Close it altogether if he wants to be in complete control over who enters and exits the Party Lobby.

Emblems Do NOT Reset with Prestige

This one is pretty cut-and-dried. A frequently asked question is, “Will my kickass emblem I spent hours perfecting be lost when I prestige?” The answer is “NO!” Emblems are one of the only aspects of Black Ops MP that do not get a full reset upon entering Prestige. Things that will reset when you Prestige are: XP, COD Points, Challenge progressions, Loadouts, and so forth.

So that’s just a few of the lesser-known components to Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer, confirmed for the first time here on the official PlayStation.Blog! For more information regarding Black Ops, and all the new features included in multiplayer, head over to our official YouTube channel and watch all the different trailers we have highlighted from the game. Additionally, you can follow me on Twitter (@JD_2020) for more news and updates.

Well… looks like I will be pre-ordering this now. Wasnt going to pick this up as MW2 put a bad taste in my mouth as far as franchises go… How about some decently priced maps rather than gouging the players $15 a time for digital nothings…

Awesome online split screen! This is a feature that need to be implemented more in games! The only game I can think of that has this as well(with second psn login included) is Resistance 2. Glad you guys are doing it, I remember with past CoD games my brother actually bought his own copy of cod4 because he wanted to play on his ps3 while I was playing, this way we dont have to dish out extra cash for a second copy, which tbh I wasnt gonna do.

This is wicked, I love how Sony is finally getting developers to integrate the XMB better with the games, especially the friends list. Split-screen with two accounts signed in should be available on all games!

Start supporting multiple accounts in all games and you could get a slightly better chance of some xbox live players migrating to the psn, I can’t play with some friends because they have brothers, sons, etc and as they can’t log in with more than one account on the ps3 they stick to their xboxes.

Really cant wait to pick this game up for PS3. ( already pre-ordered 2 copies of PS3 version since msyelf and my brother we like CoD so much ). one question though i hope i get an answer for. with theater mode, will we be able to uplaod our gameplay videos to youtube directly from the game? or will we need to uplaod it first to the PS3 HDD and then from PS3 to youtube?
Thank you

Josh Thanks for confirming the ablity to sign on to 2 accounts on the same PS3. I have two questions.
Will we be able to use in game custom music?
Will it show up which map and game type we are playing under the XMB like MW2?

OMG AWesome news.Splitscreen with 2 full psn accounts FTW!
Thank you very much Treyarch for the fantastic feature but i was wondering if we will be able to do splitscreeen online on zombie mode aswell?

this sounds awesome, me and my friends have wanted this since cod4, treyarch are really starting to impress with this game, but you just know lots of people will be abusing this to boost their levels and challenges up

hey got a couple of things to say 1st thanks a lot for doing this this will make a BIG difference. 2nd will zombies be back? i mean i have heard that the previous zombie maps will be included in the presteige and hardened edition, i peersonally dont see the point but yeah i dont mind, and if you dont announce it please tell me that you will keep it a secret like you did in WaW so we had to complete the campaign to unlock zombies that would be cool. 3rd i have heard (only as a rumor) that online lobbies would be chosen by how you play and how good you are instead of your level if you can confrim that it will be cool.
thanks again i think you have once more out-done infinity ward =)

Love the fact that it has split screen online multiplayer a la Resistance 2! I’m not really a modern warfare fan, but WaW was awesome and I see you guys as the more interesting studio of the two. I might have to go out and buy me a copy now. Thanks for your hard work, it looks to be paying off.